


Guilt

by Thunderfire69



Category: Shazam! (2019)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Billy blames himself, F/M, Freddy gets shot, Guilt, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Not Canon Compliant, bullet wounds, injuries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-05
Updated: 2019-08-05
Packaged: 2020-07-31 12:07:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20114842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thunderfire69/pseuds/Thunderfire69
Summary: One moment, everything was fine. Billy was feeling invincible, having just been proven bulletproof by these stupid thieves. He was on top of the world, feeling like more of a hero that ever. And then it happened.Another gunshot, and this time he didn’t feel it hit him. He didn’t feel it hit him because it wasn’t aimed at him. No, this time it was aimed at Freddy.-OR-Freddy gets shot in that one scene.Inspired by the fic Bulletproof by b-atson (cojosts)





	Guilt

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Bulletproof](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18416507) by [b-atson (cojosts)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cojosts/pseuds/b-atson). 

> I’ve been meaning to write something for this film ever since I saw it so many months back and now I finally have! It’s the one DC film I’ve EVER gotten heavily invested in, both emotionally and plot-wise, besides Suicide Squad and the LEGO Batman Movie.

One moment, everything was fine. Billy was feeling invincible, having just been proven bulletproof by these stupid thieves. He was on top of the world, feeling like more of a hero that ever. And then it happened.

Another gunshot, and this time he didn’t feel it hit him. He didn’t feel it hit him because it _ wasn’t _aimed at him. No, this time it was aimed at Freddy.

Billy turned, much too slow to stop the bullet. He didn’t have a good grip on his powers yet, didn’t have any way to block it or catch it in his hand. So it was that with horror he saw blood begin to bloom through Freddy’s shirt, and only a second later Billy turned to blast the robbers through the window with some _ very _strong lightning blasts.

Then he depowered (he didn’t know how he worked out how to depower- maybe just the severeness of the moment), grabbed the phone from the counter (ignoring the startled look of the cashier) and dialed 911. He was barely able to get the words out, to explain that his best friend, a person he’d met barely two days ago, had been shot.

It was funny, that. Billy had come to think of Freddy as his best friend in such a short time; then again, Billy had never really had a friend stick around for much more than a few hours. He wasn’t the best with emotional attachments.

He was still on the phone with the operator when the ambulance arrived. The operator’s name was Becky, and she had walked Billy through what he should do to stop the bleeding while they waited. It had mostly worked, stopping the majority of the blood flow by the time the ambulance pulled up, sirens blaring.

Billy almost wasn’t willing to let them take Freddy, wanting to stay huddled up next to him just to be sure that he was breathing, but he knew they were only there to help. He was allowed into the ambulance, though, and gripped Freddy’s hand for the entire ride, apart from when the doctors and nurses actually needed him to move out of the way for a moment.

He was forced to stay in the waiting area once they arrived, Freddy being rushed into the ER to get the bullet removed. Billy paced the waiting room for about an hour before sitting down, and calling Rosa and Victor. It was late, so they didn’t pick up, but he left a message for them.

Then he put his phone away, and hung his head. After a few minutes, he started to cry. He didn’t want Freddy to die that night.

————————————

Billy must have fallen asleep at some point because he woke to Rosa shaking him gently awake. The one window in the waiting room showed that it was still dark outside, and his phone told him that it was just past 5am. 

The whole family had come to the hospital; there was Victor, trying to comfort a weeping Darla; Mary, who looked utterly exhausted; Pedro, who looked as grim as usual; and Eugene, who was focused on some game on his phone (Billy could tell this was a coping mechanism, however, since he didn’t seem as engrossed in it as usual; he kept looking up, glancing around).

“I’m sorry,” Billy muttered quietly, just loud enough that Rosa could hear. “It was my fault. I convinced him to sneak out after curfew, I-”

“It’s not your fault,” Rosa interrupted gently. “You couldn’t have known.”

Billy felt himself begin to tear up again. “But I could’ve-”

“No.” Rosa’s voice grew firm. “You couldn’t have done _ anything _.”

“It should be me, not him, in there,” Billy mumbled and Rosa shook her head violently.

“No. Don’t you _ ever _say that. This wasn’t your fault, okay?”

Reluctantly, Billy nodded. Rosa offered him a weak, obviously forced smile.

“They just got him out of surgery,” Rosa said. “A few of us are allowed in it a time- I figured you should be one of the first.”

Billy’s eyes widened a little, and he shook his head. “No, no, I-I… I-”

Rosa gave reached over to give Billy’s hand a squeeze. “He’s okay, Billy. He’s going to make it.”

Billy let out a shaky sob, smiling a little through his tears. Freddy was going to be _ okay _ . He was going to _ live _.

He allowed Rosa to lead him through the hospital; Darla came with them, her crying seeming to have lessened by now. The three of them entered Freddy’s hospital room, and Billy fought every urge he had to rush to Freddy’s side and check that he was breathing, to take his hand between his own and beg him to wake up.

Instead, he hung back while Rosa and Darla whispered to him to wake up, to heal well, to get better. And when they left the room, Billy stayed. He stayed as the other foster kids filtered in and out, and he stayed after nurses and doctors tried, to no avail, to get him to leave the hospital for the night.

————————————

Billy didn’t leave the hospital for three days; in fact, he didn’t leave Freddy’s hospital room for three days. Rosa and Victor made sure to bring Billy food, which he picked at, not eating a lot. 

On the third day Billy was there, Freddy finally stirred, blearily and tiredly blinking open his eyes. Billy was rushing to his side in an instant; it was around midday, so he couldn’t alert Rosa and Victor, who would be at work, or any of the other kids, but in that moment he didn’t care about that.

“Freddy! You’re awake!”

“Billy?” Freddy fixed his half-awake gaze on the other boy, and smiled. “Wh-What happened?”

Billy took a half step back, dropping his chin. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled. Freddy’s brow furrowed.

“What are you sorry for? You didn’t shoot me.”

Billy shook his head slightly. “But I… I could have stopped it. I could’ve jumped between you and them or caught the bullet or _ something _if I wasn’t such a failure of a superhero!”

“Billy-”

“No! If I had even the _ slightest _grip on my powers I could have stopped it!”

Freddy stared at Billy, eyes wide, and Billy realised just how angry he probably sounded with himself. He couldn’t take any of it back, though; the guilt welling up inside of him was nearly too much to bear.

After a moment of silence, Billy turned and ran from the room, from the hospital, just _ away _.

————————————

Billy didn’t know how he’d ended up in the lair, or how long he was there, sitting amongst where the Seven Sins had been, just sobbing and feeling so, so incredibly guilty. He switched between forms, between being himself and being Shazam.

No matter if he looked like a hero or not, he still didn’t feel like one. Guilt dragged at him more and more with every passing second. 

He felt powerless despite his new superhero self, felt useless despite the fact that he could probably save the city if he tried. He just sat there for hours upon hours, days upon days, letting the guilt swamp him until it eventually dragged him under and he couldn’t feel anything else.

————————————

Despite having lost the concept of time, he knew it had definitely been over a week when footsteps echoed throughout the lair. It barely registered that there was someone else there, at first, until he finally lifted his head and was greeted by the sight of a _ very _relieved looking Freddy.

He looked much better than when Billy had seen him in the hospital; he was walking, with the use of the crutch he always had. He seemed to wince a little with each step, and Billy figured this was because it tugged at the wound the bullet and the surgeon’s knife had made.

“Billy!” Freddy sounded overly _ happy _ to see Billy (and why? Why would he, after Billy got him _ shot _?) and seemed to hobble over towards him faster.

“Freddy?” Billy’s voice was quiet, and hoarse from lack of use. He was barely aware that he’d stood up until he’d reached out and pulled Freddy against him in a tight, slightly awkward hug.

“Rosa and Victor have lost their _ minds _looking for you, dude,” Freddy said, voice muffled because his face was pressed against Billy’s shoulder. 

Billy pulled back from the hug, his hands resting lightly on Freddy’s shoulders. “Why? Why would they bother when I got you _ shot _?”

“It wasn’t your fault,” Freddy replied, and was it Billy’s imagination or was he nearly _ laughing _? “You didn’t know those dickheads would shoot me.”

“Yeah but-”

“Billy! All it cost me was a little blood and some hospital time!”

Okay, he was _ definitely _ laughing. Billy managed to shakily give Freddy a smile. “I think it was more than a _ little _blood.”

Freddy let out a laugh at this, then his expression grew more serious. “Come home, Billy.”

Billy took a half step back, shaking his head quickly. “No one wants me there.”

Freddy’s gaze softened. “Billy, _ I _want you there.”

Billy opened his mouth to argue, but didn’t get a chance; Freddy had stopped him by leaning forward to press his lips to Billy’s own. The kiss was short, and didn’t last long at all, but it made Billy feel something.

A spark, if you will, like the start of something bigger.

“Fine,” Billy muttered, but he was smiling. “I’ll come home.”

Freddy flashed him a wide grin, and for a moment Billy felt himself melt. “Let’s get home and put an end to Rosa and Victor’s worrying.”

Billy nodded, cautiously taking Freddy’s hand in his own. When Freddy didn’t pull away, he allowed himself another smile. “Yeah. Let’s go home.”

**Author's Note:**

> I had a lot of fun writing this... as you can see I now have two ships with a Billy and Freddy(ie).


End file.
